Adjustable chair with leg supporting platform



y 22, 1952 F. c. MAURER 2,604,141

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR WITH LEG SUPPORTING PLATFORM Filed Aug. 11, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET l 4; 4 2/ 20 U INVENTOR.

fiaa 6." Mayra/ A77 IPA E4 I July 22-, 1952 c MAURER 2,604,141

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR WITH LEG SUPPORTING PLATFORM Filed Aug. 11, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. 5190 6 Mal/ran Patented July 22, 1952 ADJUSTABLE 01mm WITH LEG SUP- PORTING PLATFORM Fred C. Maui-er, East Palestine, Ohio, assignor to The Kenmar Manufacturing Company, East Palestine. Ohio, a corporation of Ohio q Applieation'Aug'ust 11, 1951, Serial No.'241,435

This invention relates to chairs andmore particularly to an adjustable chair wherein aunitary seat and back unit are adjustably positioned with respect to a'pair of spaced stationary arms and wherein a leg supporting platform .is operated by the movement of the .unitary seat and back.

The principal object of theinvention is the provision of a simple and efficient adjustable chair with a leg supporting platform.

' A further object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable chair in which the base portion comprises a pair of spaced stationary arms.

tf'A s'til1 further "object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable chair with a leg support ng platform in which tilting movement of the seat'andjbaek portion of the chair results in upward and outward movement porting platform,

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable chair and leg supporting platform inwhich a stationary base including arms positions a unitary seajtgancl back and of the leg sup- '2 Claims; 155-405) wherein movement of the unitary seat and back relative to the base results in positioning the leg supporting platform in desirable relation to the seat andbackunit. j The adjustable chair with leg supporting platform disclosed herein comprises an improvementin the "art and particularly with respectto Patent No, 2,516,712 'issuedJuly .25 1'950 onjReclining Chair With Stationary Arms in that a'legfsupporting platform and operating; mechanis-m therefor has been combined .Wjith'a chair construction similar to that disclosed in the above Maurer patent so thatt'rec'liningmotion of'the seat and back unit of the chair results inelevating the leg supporting platiprm to a position in substantial longitudinal alignment with the seat of the chair and forwardlythereoi; v The leg supporting platform is soiormed that when the chair is'in upright position [it is concealed in the front of the lbase portion of the chair and so arranged-that'theiielativemovement of the seat and back uni-t of the chair with; respect to thearms results in the extension and retraction of the leg platform. v

With'the foregoing and other objects'in view which will appear as fthe' descriptionf proceeds, the invention' residesin ithe combination and arrangement of parts aridjin the details of con; struction hereinafters'fd 'cribed' a-n-d claimed, it n t in t on i ev 1 q tnsesiand di'fi a e s same. i-"iheii vest n herein 'chosen for purposes "-o the disclosure;;

, 2 which do not constitute departure from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the chair taken on line -ll of Figure 3.

Figure '2 ,is arvertica-l sect-ion of the chair taken on-line- 2-2 of Figure 4 and showing the chair in reclining-position.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1- A Figure. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2 and showing the chair reclinins position.

.By refe rin o the drawin s and Fi ur '1 in particular it will be seen" that an adjustable chair with leg supportin platf is d sc osed and comprises a base in including a pair of spaced arms 'll afiixed thereto and arranged to adjustably position a seat and back unit therebetween, the upright portion of which is a back l2 and thehorizontal portion of which i a seat l3. J

The seat and back unit includes a pair of spaced rails I4 pqsitionedbeneaththe sides 01 the seat portion 1-3. 'IheirailsjH serve to position a pair of rods viii--15 transversely-of the seat portion -I;3 The base In has a pair of spaced vertical side sections l'6--1'8 positioned beneath the arms H and parallel with and adjacent to the rails l4 heretofore referred to. Two-pairs ,oi' semi-arcuate slots 1|"! and-18 are formed in the vertical side sections "ii-"-15 in oppositely disposed relation so that the extending ends of the rods 'l 5-l 5 register therein for sliding movementjtherein. v a

It --will thus. be observed by referring to Figure 1- of the drawings that when the seat and we}; unit is in position, as shown, with the seatportiQnfilB in substantially horizontal position, the rods 1-5-15 -are in':the forwardiend of the semiarcuateslotsi'land'lll.

By referring to Figure 2 of the draWingsitwvill be seen that the r0ds l5 .move to the opposite or rear ends of thesemi ar'cuateslots l5 and when the seat and back iinit is tilted pac wardly t0 r n n ro i nhe fron portion of the seat portion .113 sis ut awa beneath he up er edge th reof so'that' a leg supporting platform 19 mayb ned h reb th in vertical nose tion when the chair is in upright position, as

attainm nt-arm lilf s preferably 1;;

pholstered nismfor moving the leg supporting platform l 9 plurality of levers which are pivcomprises a otally affixed to the leg supporting platform -IQ and which are actuated by the movement of the unitary seat and back portion with respect to the stationary base.

oted midway between their ends by pivots 2 i--2l to the vertical side sections l6.

The levers 2020 lie inwardly of the vertical side sections l6 and adjacent the rearmost pair 9f,.-arouately formed slots 18. The levers 20-20 are pivoted to the vertical side sections l-.'-l6 so thattheir uppermost ends, as seen in Figure 1, move on an are comparable. with that .of the arcuate slots l 8 and the uppermost ends of the levers 20-40 are bifurcated as at 22 so that they may slidably engage the rods} I at points thereon between the side rails ifoftheseat and back unit and the vertical side sections it of the base, as best shown in Figure 4 ofthe drawings.

By referring again to'Figure 1 of the drawings it willbe observed that a pair ofoffs'etlinks 23 are; pivoted-at their opposite ends to the lower ends of the levers by pivots 2424 and to the upper portions of the leg supporting platform l9 bypivots25 -25.Q It .will be observed that the bottom portionof the side rails 14 of the seat and back unit have recesses'26 out therein registering with -the. offset portion of the offset links 23 which permits the rearward ,ends of the offset links 23 ;to lie on a plane between the side'rails i4 and. the vertical side sections it while their forward portions lie within the area between the rails I4 of the seat and back unit. Afpair of secondary1levers26'-'2 6 are pivoted at their uppermost ends to .the inner sidesv of the side rails 1 4 ,by .meanfs of pivots L21 -2'I and at their lowermost'ends to a pair of secondary links 2 by me s. of pivots 29-29. The secondaryflevers'26-'-26 are also pivoted intermediate their ends to the links 23-223 by means ofpivots 30- 30 and the ."foremost ends of the secondary linksl28- 28. are pivoted to the lower portion of the leg supporting platform I}! by means'of pivots .3l-3L. It will thus be seenthat when the seat'and back unit is in upright position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the'levers 20 are in'approximately vertical position with their bifurcatedupper ends 22 engaged upon the rod l5 which is in theu'pperl portion of, the arcuate slots 18.. .Theoffset links23 extendbetween the lower ends of the levers 20 and the upper pivotal attachment points of theleg supporting'platforrnli9. V l. H c

leg supportingmatrorm I9, is in] vertical positionby. reason jo'fgthe positioning 1 of .thesec: ondaliy' levers 26 .ar id 'the secondary 28.. Thesecondary levers 26. are pivotednto the side,

' rails, i l of the seatafrid'back unit by thepivo'ts Z1 and are in substantially vertical position. with their lower ends 'pivotedtoflthe;rearends of the secondary links 20, through the pivots 2 9 The movement is initiated by a pair of oppositely disposed levers 20-20 piv- 7 including vertical si piv ts ,30 intermediate, the, ends Of the secondary lever's'i'fzfi' arepivote'd to the offset'links 23 fat' a si ters. ena t d from; the, eyeeenpr these upperend of outwardly and forwardly as the links 23 are piv- 4 links such that the leg supporting platform I is held in vertical position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

At such time as the seat and back unit is tilted. backwardly, as shown in solid lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, the levers 20 move from approximately vertical position -to approximately horizontal position as theyfqllow the movement of the rod [5 in the oppositely disposed arcuate slots It. The opposite ends of the lever 20 therefore move the links 23 forwardly which causes the the leg supporting platform to move oted by way of the secondary levers 26 and the pivots 21. to the side rails M of the seat and back 7 'portion'. The lower end'of the leg supporting platform l9 swings outwardly and upwardly on anarc'based' on the pivots 25 on the ends of the offset links 23 by reason of the secondary links 28 and the secondary levers 26 to which they are pivoted.

It will thus be seen that the leg supporting platform [9 moves in a predetermined pattern directly responsive to the. tilting motion of the seat and'back unit and that when the seat and back unit is in reclining position, as shown in solid lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, the platform has moved into substantially horizontal position in horizontal alignment with the forward end of the seat portion l3 where it forms an effective leg supporting platform. Those skilled in the art will observe thatany intermediate position of the seat and back unit with respect to the, base will result in a similar intermediate position of the leg supporting platform 19. V It will occur to those skilled in the art that the mechanism isefiicientand incapable of becoming inoperative and that it may be inexpensively formed and positioned in the chair in a minimum of space. i

It will thus be'seen that the adjustable chair with leg supporting platform disclosed herein meets the severalobjects of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimis; v V

"1. In a reclining chair the combination of a seat and back unit, means for supporting the same in tiltable, relation to asupporting surface,

, s'aid's'upporting means comprising a base relatively'wider than said seat and back unit and including vertical 'sidefsections having slots formed therein at an inclination and in oppositely disposed relation. saidseat and back unit having sidewardly projecting means engaging said slots, levers pivoted intermediate-their ends to said side sections adjacent said slots and engaged on said 'sidewardly projecting, means, secondary leverslpivoted at their upper ends to said seat and back unit a leg supporting platform and links pivotally secured tosaid'levers and secondary levers and to .saidleg supporting platform, and secondary links, pivotally secured to said secondary levers and to said leg. supporting platform for positioning saidleg supporting platform in movable relationto said 'seat and back unit.

2'. In a" reclining chair the combination of a seatv and back unit, means for supporting the same in .tiltable relation to a supporting surface, said supporting means comprising a-base, relatively'fwider than said seat and backunit and I p v sections having 1 slots formed therein at an inclination and in oppositely disposed relation, said seat, and back unit havin 51st etd v metastases engaging said -1 levers pivoted intermediate their ends to said side sections adjacent said slots and having bifurcated ends engaged on said sidewardly projecting means, secondary levers pivoted at their upper ends to said seat and back unit, a leg supporting platform and links pivotally secured to said levers at their opposite ends and to said secondary levers intermediate their ends and to said leg supporting platform, and secondary links pivotally secured to the lower ends of said secondary levers and to said leg supporting platform for positioning said leg supporting platform in movable relation to said seat and back unit.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 and further characterized by said links pivotally engaging said leg supporting platform adjacent its uppermost edge and said secondary links engaging said leg supporting platform adjacent its lowermost edge.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2 and further characterized by the positioning of said levers between said vertical side sections and said seat and back unit.

5. The structure set forth in claim 2 and further characterized by the positioning of said v levers between said vertical side sections and said seat and back unit and wherein said links are offset intermediate their ends so that their ends lie on opposite sides of the seat and back portion to which they are pivoted by said secondary levers.

6. The structure set forth in claim 2 and further characterized by said links pivotally engaging said leg supporting platform adjacent its uppermost edge and said secondary links engaging said leg supporting platform at points thereon below said uppermost edge.

7. In a reclining chair the combination of a seat and back unit, means for supporting the same in tiltable relation to a supporting surface,

said supporting means comprising a base relatively wider than said seat and back unit and including vertical side sections having oppositely disposed pairs of arcuate slots formed therein at an inclination and in oppositely. disposed relation, said seat and back unit having sidewardly projecting means engaging said slots, levers pivoted intermediate their ends to said side sections adjacent said slots and engaged on said sidewardly projecting means, secondary levers pivoted at their upper ends to said seat and back unit, a leg supporting platform and links pivotally secured to said levers and secondary levers and to said leg supporting platform, and secondary links pivotally secured to said secondary levers and to said leg supporting platform for positioning said leg supporting platform in movable relation to said seat and back unit.

FRED C. MAURER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 948,029 Trimble Feb. 1, 1910 1,688,576 Doyle Oct. 23, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 205,484 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1939 

